Arts & Entertainment Event highlights of the week!
SportsWise
The SportsWise Team remembers Loyola's Sister Jean.
Cover Story: first amendment rights
The First Amendment protects the rights of speakers who say things with which Americans agree -- and disagree. As the Supreme Court said: “The Nation well knows that one of the costs of the First Amendment is that it protects the speech we detest as well as the speech we embrace.”
Magazines -- including StreetWise -- receive additional First Amendment protection because providing a variety of opinions is necessary to crafting conversation around public policy.
From the streets
• A Protect Rogers Park rally at Clark and Lunt Streets shows neighbors learning how to protect immigrants and patronize their businesses.
• Mayor Brandon Johnson attends the groundbreaking of Lakeview Landing, accessible housing at the former site of a church near Wrigley Field.
• PsiQuantum broke ground September 30 in Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park (IQMP), which Gov. JB Pritzker says will make Illinois the nation’s leader in the global race for quantum innovation; the Alliance of the South East (ASE) issues an statement saying, “Don’t poison us and don’t displace us” as construction starts on the former steel mill site.
The Playground
THIS PAGE: Protesters gather on Clark Street for the Protect Rogers Park event (Suzanne Hanney photo). DISCLAIMER: The views, opinions, positions or strategies expressed by the authors and those providing comments are theirs alone, and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, or positions of StreetWise.
Dave Hamilton, Creative Director/Publisher dhamilton@streetwise.org
Julie Youngquist, Executive director jyoungquist@streetwise.org
Ph: 773-334-6600 Office: 2009 S. State St., Chicago, IL, 60616
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT RECOMMENDATIONS
Compiled by Dave Hamilton
100-Year Legend!
'Miles Davis @ 100: The Prelude'
"Miles Davis @ 100: The Prelude" is an extraordinary weekend of jazz celebration, film, and dialogue in honor of the legendary trumpeter and composer’s 100th birthday. The festivities begin with Open Rehearsals and Talkbacks on Friday (10/31 at 10:30 a.m. or 1 p.m.) $1 admission. The next day (11/1, 3 p.m., FREE), audiences are invited to experience the documentary “Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool.” This Grammy-nominated film offers unprece dented access to Davis’s life, featuring rare footage, studio outtakes, and exclusive interviews, revealing the man behind the legend. Following the screening, renowned trumpeter, composer, and conductor Orbert Davis is joined in conversation by Vince Wilburn. Jr., Miles Davis’s nephew, drummer, co-manager of Davis’s estate and leader of M.E.B.; and Mark Ruffin, program director and host of Sirius XM Real Jazz.
This trio will discuss Miles Davis’s music, life, legacy, and his Chicago connections. The evening culminates with the “Davis Plays Davis” concert—where Orbert Davis and his sextet interpret the iconic works of Miles Davis at 7 p.m. $2 admission. All events take place at the Kehrein Center for the Arts, 5628 W. Washington Blvd. Find more information at chijazzphil.org
A Critical Time!
‘1945: At War’s End’
The nonprofit Guarneri Hall, 11 E. Adams St., presents “1945: At War’s End,” a two-day festival commemorating the 80th anniver sary of the end of World War II, on November 4-5, 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. The program reflects on the lives of composers and musicians affected by the deadliest armed conflict in human history: Poles of Jewish descent Mieczysław Weinberg and Szymon Laks, Czech composer Bohuslav Martinů, Russian composer Dmitri Shostakovich, English composer Benjamin Britten, and Nagasaki native Michiru Ōshima. Adding to the intimacy of these events and helping make chamber music a deeply personal experience, distinguished guest speakers from the University of Chicago will provide context to the music at each event, and a reception will follow each performance for audience members, artists and scholars to engage in conversations. Tickets can be purchased now at guarnerihall.org, with general admission priced at $50 and student discounts available.
Operatic
Double Feature!
‘Cavalleria rusticana’ & ‘Pagliacci’ Lyric Opera of Chicago presents a murderous double feature of Mascagni’s “Cavalleria rusticana” and Leoncavallo’s “Pagliacci” — known collectively as “Cav/Pag” — two timeless operas that ignite music’s most incendiary emotions, on stage November 1 – 23, at the Lyric Opera House, 20 N. Wacker Drive. While both stories of “Cav/Pag” are set within southern Italian culture and tradition, their themes are universal; they tell of love that consumes, and revenge that devours. More than just a random double bill, the two operas are united through the verismo style they defined. This 19th-century form of Italian opera broke from the traditional focus on mythology and royalty to ground itself in the realistic and often gritty depictions of everyday life. These operas strip love of its overwrought grandeur and show it for what it can become: messy, corrosive, and even fatal. Short in length but packed with unforgettable fervor, “Cav/Pag” delivers quick emotional blows to the heart. Tickets start at $47 at lyricopera.org
Remember Me!
Raven Chacon: ‘American Ledger, No. 3’
Raven Chacon, a Diné composer and sound artist, conjures sonic landscapes that pulse with history, resistance, and a responsiveness to place. His work—whether as a soloist, collaborator, or with the collective Postcommodity—weaves noise, chamber music, and Indigenous storytelling into something visceral and unshakable. A Pulitzer Prize winner and mentor to young Native composers, Chacon’s music hums with the echoes of the land and the tension of the present, challenging ears and expectations alike. Chacon’s “American Ledger, No. 3” is scored for two women’s choirs and dedicated to journalist, activist, and Chicagoan Ida B. Wells. The piece is a powerful addition to the artist’s ongoing “American Ledger” series and is staged in Chicago for the first time. FREE, November 2, 3 p.m. at the Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts, 915 E. 60th St.
Glowing in the Dark!
‘The Mothman Cometh’
In this dark, interactive, alternative comedy, Mothman has arrived to devour the audience’s darknesses. However, when he discovers they aren’t fully attuned to the darkness, he decides to show them it’s power and leads them into the void. It doesn’t take long for the power of the void to overcome Mothman, trapping everyone inside as they sink through the depths of the void. In the end, the audience shows him the light, and he sacrifices himself to free the audience from the void, trapping himself there forever. This show is performed mostly in the dark, lit by Mothman’s glowing red eyes. It has haze and frequent audience participation. October 29 - 31, 7 p.m. at The Newport Theater, 956 W. Newport Ave. Tickets are $15 at Eventbrite.com
Rebuilding an Uncertain World!
‘The House that Will Not Stand’
In early 19th century New Orleans, widowed mother Beatrice struggles to manage her headstrong daughters after the death of her second husband. But as the matriarch takes her place as head of the household, a more ominous transfer of power transpires in the region. The French-owned Louisiana Territory is about to be acquired by the United States, threatening the liberty of the free people of color residing on the land. “The House That Will Not Stand” follows four women in mourning as they look ahead to an uncertain and haunting future. Playing October 28 - December 14 at Windy City Playhouse, 3014 W. Irving Park Road. Tickets start at $25 at invictustheatreco.com/house
Your Work of Art!
Stained Glass Workshop at the Driehaus Museum
In collaboration with the Driehaus Museum’s current exhibition, “Tiffany Lamps: Beyond the Shade,” visitors in this hands-on workshop get a behind-the-scenes look at the stained glass-making process and will try out techniques including cutting, foiling, and soldering. November 1, 4 p.m. at Driehaus Museum, 50 E. Erie. Tickets are $100 at driehausmuseum.org
Camino Clark!
Rogers Park Día de los Muertos
The nonprofit Rogers Park Business Alliance presents its first-ever community celebration of Día de los Muertos, November 1-2. The celebration takes place within the vibrant Mexican Cultural District, Camino Clark (Clark Street), which stretches from Howard Street to Devon Avenue. A community altar will be on display, consisting of photos gifted from neighbors to honor passed loved ones, and local Camino Clark businesses will offer Día de los Muertos specials. More details are available at RPBA.org
Art for All!
Pigmented: Black Fine Art Faire
Pigment International’s Pigmented: Black Fine Art Faire is October 31 – November 2 at the Zhou B Art Center, 1029 W. 35th St. The celebration is being held during October’s Black Fine Art Month (BFAM), a commemoration of Black art founded by Pigment International in Chicago and entered into the Congressional Record. It will offer collectible Black fine art, engaging programming and artist talks, a youth exhibition, creative commerce—all designed to amplify Black artistry, ownership, and legacy. Additionally, the show will also commemorate the 85th anniversary of the American Negro Exposition and celebrate the legacy of Chicago’s Black-owned galleries. Tickets are $20/daily at pigmentintl.com
Young Talent!
‘Waiting & Weaving: Penelope in Song’
Art Song Chicago (ASC) presents Soprano Alannah Spencer (pictured) and Pianist Jeremy Vigil in “Waiting and Weaving: Penelope in Song,” produced through ASC’s Vocal Chamber Music Fellowship – a program designed to give early-career vocalists the resources and support to produce a project of their choosing.
“Waiting and Weaving” explores the myriad ways in which the character of Penelope from the ancient Greek epic “The Odyssey” has been portrayed in music, art, and literature throughout the centuries. Featuring a diverse array of repertoire, the program also includes world premieres from local composers. November 6 at 7 p.m. at Roosevelt University’s Ganz Hall, 430 S. Michigan Ave. Tickets are $25 at artsongchicago.org
remembering loyola's sister jean
John: We are going to talk about a very special person indeed. Later on in her years, she was larger than life, but for most of her career, she did not know any fame: Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt, BVM, who died October 9 at 106. She was born on Aug. 21, 1919 in San Francisco. Her journey led her to Dubuque, IA in September 1937, when she applied as a candidate to the Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. She began at St. Charles elementary school in North Hollywood, CA, where she started women’s basketball, softball and track. She received a master’s at Loyola University and in 1970 became a dean at Mundelein College, which merged with Loyola in 1991. In 1994, she was going to retire but the university begged her to stay on, to help kids keep their grades high enough to stay on the team. In 1996, she became chaplain for men’s basketball. But she did not get recognized until 2018, when Loyola basketball went on that magical run. Did she, more than
the 1963 national champion basketball team, put Loyola on the map?
Russell: My condolences to Sr. Jean, the Loyola matriarch and college basketball icon. That’s a long time to live, 106 years. May she rest in peace. She motivated her teams. She was alright. She will definitely be missed.
Allen: When she joined Loyola as assistant dean and academic adviser, she helped the men and women keep their grades high enough to play. She called herself a booster-shooter. I think that’s important because a lot of schools, if you are good on the team, they will just pass you to keep you on the team and win games.
John: A lot of people probably don’t know that Loyola did win the national basketball championship in 1963. Cincinnati, the Bearcats, were going for their third consecutive NCAA championship and had the top defense in
the nation, while Loyola had the top offense, scoring 100 or more points in 11 games. Cincinnati was the team that was known for holding the ball prior to the 24-second shot clock, but that cost them their offensive rhythm. Loyola came back from a 15-point deficit to win 60-58 with one second left in OT. Let’s take it through 2018. They beat Miami 64-63 at the buzzer, then played three more post-games, before losing to Michigan. What was so special is how Sr. Jean inspired her young kids to not only be talented but to be better than they thought with good grades. What even made her more special is she had a wholesomeness about her we don’t see nowadays. She didn’t seek the fame, the fame found her. Since 2018, she became such a household name they even had bobblehead dolls of her.
Russell: She was a kindred spirit, a friend, a sister. She became an accidental celebrity. Her commitment to
Loyola was a continuation of her work at the former Mundelein College.
Allen: It began in 1994 when Sr. Jean was 75 years old and ready to retire from Loyola. But Sr. Jean was called – this time to help students keep up their grades. She was official team chaplain, with her pregame prayer and advice to players.
John: She had a lot of honor and integrity, something a lot of owners don’t have. If we had more people like her, the world would be a better place.
Any comments, suggestions or topic ideas for the SportsWise team? Email StreetWise Editor Suzanne Hanney at suzannestreetwise@yahoo.com
Vendors John Hagan, Russell Adams, and A. Allen chat about the world of sports.
Sister Jean's official portrait (Loyola photo).
How the First amendment protects amerIcan's speecH – and how it does not
by Ray Brescia
ImagIne a protest outside the funeral of a popular political leader, with some of the protesters celebrating the death and holding signs that say things like “God Hates the USA/Thank God for 9/11,” “America is Doomed” and “Don’t Pray for the USA.”
No matter the political leanings of that leader, most Americans would probably abhor such a protest and those signs.
What would facilitate such activities, no matter how distasteful? The First Amendment.
The situation described above is taken from an actual protest, though it did not involve the funeral of a political figure. Instead, members of the Westboro Baptist Church
protested outside the funeral of Marine Lance Cpl. Matthew Snyder, a U.S. service member killed in Iraq.
Through demonstrations like this, members of this group were conveying their belief that the U.S. is overly tolerant of those they perceive as sinners, especially people from the LGBTQ community, and that the death of U.S. soldiers should be recognized as divine retribution for such sinfulness.
Snyder’s family sued for intentional infliction of emotional distress, among other claims. A jury issued a US$5 million jury award in favor of the family of the deceased service member. But in a nearly unanimous decision issued in 2011, the U.S. Supreme Court found that the First Amendment insulated the protesters from such a judgment.
This holding is particularly instructive today.
The Trump administration has vowed to crack down on what it calls hate speech. It has labeled antifa, a loosely organized anti-fascist group, a terrorist organization. And it has sought to punish figures such as TV host Jimmy Kimmel for statements perceived critical of conservative activists.
What the First Amendment makes clear is that it does not just protect the rights of speakers who say things with which Americans agree. Or, as the Supreme Court said in a separate decision it issued one year after the case involving the funeral protesters: “The Nation well knows that one of the costs of the First Amendment is that it protects the speech we detest as well as the speech we embrace.”
But free speech is not absolute. As a legal scholar who has studied political movements, free speech and privacy, I realize the government can regulate speech through what are known as “reasonable time, place, and manner” restrictions. These limits cannot depend upon the content of the speech or expressive conduct in which a speaker is engaged, however.
For example, the government can ban campfires in an area prone to wildfires. But if it banned the burning of the U.S. flag only as a form of political protest, that would be an unconstitutional restriction on speech.
protected and unprotected speech
There are certain categories of speech that are not entitled to First Amendment protection. They include incitement to violence, obscenity, defamation and what are considered “true threats.”
When, for example, someone posts threats on social media with reckless disregard for whether they will instill legitimate fear in their target, such posts are not a protected form of speech. Similarly, burning a cross on someone’s property as a means of striking terror in them such that they fear bodily harm also represents this kind of true threat.
There are also violations of the law that are sometimes prosecuted as “hate crimes,” criminal acts driven by some discriminatory motive. In these cases, it’s generally not the perpetrator’s beliefs that are punished but the fact that they act on them and engage in some other form of criminal conduct, as when someone physically assaults their victim based on that victim’s race or religion. Such motives can increase the punishment people receive for the underlying criminal conduct.
Speech that enjoys the strongest free-speech protections is that which is critical of government policies and leaders. As the Supreme Court said in 1966, “There is practically universal agreement that a major purpose of (the First) Amendment was to protect the free discussion of governmental affairs.”
As the late Justice Antonin Scalia would explain in 2003, “The right to criticize the government” is at “the heart of what the First Amendment is meant to protect.”
restrictIons on government actIon
The First Amendment prevents the government from taking direct action to curtail speech by, for example, trying to prevent the publication of material critical of it. Americans witnessed this in the Pentagon Papers case, where the Supreme Court ruled that the government could not prevent newspapers from publishing a leaked – and politically damaging – study on U.S. military involvement in Vietnam.
But it also applies when the government acts in indirect ways, such as threatening to investigate a media company or cutting funding for a university based on politically disfavored action or inaction.
In 2024 the Supreme Court ruled unanimously that the state of New York’s efforts to punish companies that did business with the National Rifle Association because of the organization’s political positions violated the group’s First Amendment rights.
Similarly, in recent months, courts have ruled on First Amendment grounds against Trump administration efforts to punish law firms or to withhold funds from Harvard University. And a federal court in Florida threw out a lawsuit filed by President Trump against The New York Times seeking $15 billion for alleged harm to the president’s investments and reputation. Nevertheless, some people fear government retribution for criticizing the administration. And some, like the TV network ABC, have engaged in speech-restricting action on their own, such as taking Kimmel temporarily off the air for his comments critical of conservative activists in the wake of Charlie Kirk’s killing.
Before Kimmel’s suspension, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr described his negotiations with ABC’s parent company, Disney, to take action against him. “We could do this the easy way or the hard way,” Carr said. And Trump said that some media companies might “lose their license” for criticizing the president. It is encouraging that, in the face of these threats, ABC has reversed course and agreed to put Kimmel back on the air.
The First Amendment protects speech across the political spectrum, even speech Americans do not like. Both liberal comedian Jon Stewart and conservative commentator Tucker Carlson have recently agreed on this. As Carlson said recently, “If they can tell you what to say, they’re telling you what to think. … There is nothing they can’t do to you because they don’t consider you human.”
Just last year in the NRA case referenced before, the Supreme Court clearly stated that even indirect government efforts to curtail protected speech are indeed unconstitutional. In light of that ruling, efforts to limit criticism of the administration, any administration, should give all Americans, regardless of their political views, great pause.
Ray Brescia is Associate Dean for Research and Intellectual Life at Albany Law School. Courtesy of The Conversation.
Free speecH and streetwise Vendors
According to the First Amendment Center of Middle Tennessee State University, Thomas Jefferson wrote to a friend in 1787 that “the good sense of the American people is always going to be the greatest asset of the American government. Sometimes they might go astray, but they have the ability to right themselves. The people should always have the media to express opinions through.”
Media – including StreetWise vendors – are generally afforded greater First Amendment protection than commercial vendors because their purpose is bigger than themselves. Non-commercial or "political" speech in StreetWise is at the core of the First Amendment and receives the highest level of protection, because it promotes public discourse about society as a whole. News is considered vital for an informed public, and its dissemination is tied to freedom of the press, just one facet of the First Amendment.
The courts have defined "commercial speech," on the other hand, as "expression related solely to the economic interests of the speaker and its audience," and granted it a lower tier of protection.
The distinction between non-commercial and commercial vendors was solidified by the Supreme Court in Valentine v. Chrestensen (1942). The Court ruled that distributing handbills for a commercial purpose was not protected speech under the First Amendment. It established the principle that "purely commercial advertising" is less constitutionally protected than the dissemination of ideas.
When regulations restrict the sale of newspapers, pamphlets, and books, courts apply a very high level of scrutiny to ensure that the rules are not suppressing the free flow of information, which is considered essential for a functioning democracy. In effect, the act of selling a newspaper is treated more like an act of speech than a simple commercial transaction.
Many scholars trace the first expressions of the concept of a free press in the English-speaking world to John Milton’s "Aeropagitica," a speech he wrote in 1644 to persuade the English Parliament to repeal a licensing act enacted a year earlier. Milton argued that the benefits of a vigorous public debate far outweigh the dangers to society of unregulated public discourse. In 1919, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. said that in the “marketplace of ideas,” truth would eventually win out if left uncensored or otherwise limited by authority.
- Suzanne Hanney
protect rogers park e Vent calls resIdents to action
by Suzanne Hanney
State Rep. Kelly Cassidy (D-Chicago) has always loved living and working in Rogers Park, “where my kids grew up with their own tamale lady” at Jarvis Square – who was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) just as the community was gathering around her to keep her safe.
Although word had come that the lady had been released, “We will not give up. We will not surrender and we will kneel to no one,” Cassidy, speaking as part of a Rapid Response crew, told a Protect Rogers Park rally October 11 at Clark and Lunt Streets.
As a near-constant stream of cars with honking horns passed the intersection, she added to applause, “We’re gonna make sure that the businesses up and down Clark Street, up and down Morse, Howard Streets know that we know what they’re going through, that we support them, and we want this to be the best f….. business day on Clark Street.”
“Today, to extent you can, spend money. We’re going to demonstrate we’re here for them. They do not have to close, we are in this together,” said Gabe Gonzalez, a volunteer with Protect Rogers Park since 2017 and the first threats of immigrant deportation by President Trump. “We want to make sure every knows what their rights are, everyone feels safe and that their neighbors are looking out for them.”
Gonzalez urged more email sign ups at protectrp626@ gmail.com for school patrols to protect parents and kids before and after school, for direct action training, and for ICE verifiers, who use the acronym SALUTE. Size: How many people? Activity: What are they doing? Location: Where are they? Uniform: What do they look like? Time & Date of Observation Equipment: car make, model and license plate.
Protect Rogers Park is not just waiting for local attacks, Gonzalez said. “If we have extra people, we will send them to Albany Park, to Edgewater.”
Ald. Andre Vasquez chairs the Chicago City Council Committee on Immigrant and Refugee Rights. The committee’s website says that while the Trump administration initially promised to target criminal immigrants, “the reality
on the ground is very different.” People without records, students, legal permanent residents and even American citizens are among ICE targets.
“Despite the fact that our country has a legal process for removal, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has often ignored these processes in favor of conducting arrests without judicial warrants, deporting people without a fair trial, and thus violating the right to due process,” according to the website.
“Together, we can take the anger, take the fear into something to make us better,” said Ald. Maria Hadden (49th ward) at the rally.
Chicago will be tested over the next weeks, months -and years, Hadden said, so she urged the crowd to find ways to take care of themselves and to show up when they can. “Because we are in this for long haul. Chicago is not going anywhere. Rogers Park is building a new society with our neighbors across Chicago and across this country.”
How you can Help:
The Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR) and Organized Communities Against Deportations (OCAD) share the common goal of defending and advocating for the rights of immigrants and refugees in Chicago and Illinois.
Both organizations have a strong focus on protecting immigrant and refugee communities from deportations and the actions of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
ICIRR’s 24-Hour Family Support Hotline: 1-855-HELPMY-FAMILY (1-855-435-7693)
Non-legal professionals can:
• Assist at legal workshops and clinics
• Provide language interpretation and translation
• Join a rapid response network
• Staff community education events
• Support outreach efforts
• Provide administrative assistance https://www.illinoisimmigrationinfo.org/volunteer#nlv
Lawyers, law students, and other legal professionals can assist with workshops and clinics, document preparation, and full client representation. Find opportunities at illinoisimmigrationinfo.org/volunteer.
Disseminate Know Your Rights materials to your local community. Download KYR cards and flyers at icirr.org/fsn
Court Watch is a volunteer program to observe and bear witness at immigration hearings in Chicago. While Illinois passed legislation that banned immigrant detention within our state beginning in 2022, deportation cases are still processed in the Chicago Immigration Court nearly every weekday for immigrants. Court Watch volunteers attend as many of these hearings as possible and partner with legal organizations and pro bono attorneys to highlight problems where unrepresented detainees may be in need of legal help. To volunteer, email: icirrcourtwatch@gmail. com
mutual aId
Connect with mutual aid networks in your community to coordinate drop-offs of groceries and other essentials to households that do not feel safe leaving their homes, or organize a school carpool for children whose parents may be targeted. Food pantries are a good place to start—or connect with other neighbors (e.g. parents at your children’s school) to organize your own!
List of Community Service Agencies Serving Immigrants https://www.dhs.state.il.us/page.aspx?item=117419
civic action
Follow Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights on Facebook and Instagram (@icirr_il) as well as OCAD (organizedcommunities.org) and Instagram (@ocadchicago) to learn about rallies, calls to action, and other ways to make your voice heard!
court watcH
Page 10: Gabe Gonzalez (left) with Daniel Biss, Mayor of Evanston (right). This Page: Left: Emily-Page Taylor and Ellie Immerman fold English/Spanish Know Your Rights flyers.
Above: Protesters gather on Clark Street. (All photos by Suzanne Hanney).
lakeview landing opens, offering affordable housing to persons with disabilities
by Suzanne Hanney
Mayor Brandon Johnson attended the October 3 ribbon-cutting ceremony for the newly completed Lakeview Landing: 37 housing units that are 100% affordable to people with disabilities earning 30% of Area Median Income, which is $25,200 for a single-person household.
Located at 835 W. Addison St., Lakeview Landing is two blocks east of Wrigley Field and close to the CTA Red Line at Addison as well as buses on Halsted and Clark streets. “Lakeview Landing demonstrates what the City and community can do when we commit to dignity, accessibility and inclusion,” Johnson said. The project received $5.8 million in financing and capital support from the Department of Housing (DOH), which supplemented funding provided by the Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA). Joining Johnson at the event were Ald. Bennett Lawson (44th ward), IHDA Executive Director Kristen Faust, DOH Commissioner Lissette Castaneda, and Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities (MOPD) Commissioner Rachel Arfa.
it exceeds universal design, with barrier-free construction, open floor plans and roll-in showers. Powers and Sons Construction was the general contractor.
A significant partner was the Lakeview Lutheran Church, whose congregation is smaller than in the past. The church on the site was demolished and the land donated to the Over the Rainbow Association, which works to provide a range of housing solutions for disabled residents. In the last nearly three decades, they’ve completed 13 accessible housing development projects across Northern Illinois.
Over the Rainbow will provide supportive services to residents such as navigating insurance, learning how to budget and seeking education and employment assistance. The Lakeview Lutheran congregation, meanwhile, will meet on Sundays in the building’s community room, which will be available to other groups on a scheduled basis. The building has 12 dedicated parking spaces.
The six-story, 69-foot, elevator-serviced building will offer 575-square-foot, one-bedroom homes. Two units will be reserved as permanent supportive housing (PSI), through which residents will be paired with nearby mental health services. Designed by Weese Langley Weese Architects,
The Mayor’s Office said Johnson has put the construction of affordable homes at the center of his strategy to make Chicago more affordable for working people. His Green Social Housing ordinance, passed by the Chicago City Council in May, created a city-owned, non-profit developer who would issue $135 million in loans to developers who build environmentally friendly buildings and sell them back to the City, according to the Sun-Times. Funds come from Mayor Johnson’s $1.25 billion Housing and Economic Development Bond, which was created from expiring Tax Increment Finance (TIF) money accrued to the corporate fund.
“Creating accessible housing isn’t just about meeting codes. It’s about building a city where everyone, regardless of ability, has the opportunity to live independently and with dignity,” said DOH Commissioner Castañeda. “Lakeview Landing demonstrates how affordable housing can be built intentionally to serve all residents, especially people with disabilities who have historically been left out of our housing system. This project moves us closer to a city where every Chicagoan can navigate no matter their physical abilities.”
Mayor Brandon Johnson and Ald. Bennett Lawson, (right, in open-neck shirt) participate in the Day in the (44th) Ward -- Lakeview Landing ribbon cutting (Peyton Reich, City of Chicago photo).
psiquantum breaks ground on southeast side for the largest quantum computing project in U.S.
by Suzanne Hanney
PsiQuantum broke ground September 30 in Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park (IQMP), which Gov. JB Pritzker says will make Illinois the nation’s leader in the global race for quantum innovation.
“This milestone is made possible by a unique partnership across city, county, state, and private industry, uniting talent and investment to create jobs, drive economic growth, and secure Illinois’ leadership in a technology that will tackle tomorrow’s greatest challenges,” said Pritzker, who made investing in quantum computing a major priority. In addition to the $500 million investment in IQMP, Illinois previously put $200 million into the Chicago Quantum Exchange, the first state to make that large of a commitment to quantum — a move that attracted federal research dollars.
Quantum computing uses subatomic particles for storing and processing data rather than the electric signals used in conventional computing. This allows for faster processing of much more complex data, including health care, energy, the climate crisis, transportation, financial services and agriculture. Mark Denzler, president and CEO of the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association, cited the possible creation of life-saving drugs, chemicals, energy and cybersecurity, “unleashing greater economic potential while creating a better, brighter world.”
Jack Lavin, president and CEO of the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce, said the IQMP would “not only create thousands of jobs and drive billions of dollars in economic impact, it will ensure Illinois stands as the singular global leader in one of the most consequential technologies of the 21st century and beyond.”
PsiQuantum, at roughly 87th Street and Lake Michigan, will be the largest quantum computing project in the U.S. and the anchor tenant at IQMP. It will be joined by IBM, Infleqtion, Diraq, and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) in a project developed by Related Midwest.
Mayor Brandon Johnson cited new jobs and educational pathways as well as expanded healthcare and community amenities: a new 53-bed Advocate Health hospital and expanded access to the lakefront.
However, in transforming “Quantum Shore,” neighborhood members of the Alliance of the South East (ASE) issued a statement saying, “Don’t poison us and don’t displace us.”
“For those of us that have lived in the community for many years/generations, we deserve to be protected. We’ve stayed in the community as resources were taken away,” said Renee Nowlin, from the KECS Block Club.
“We deserve to have a seat at the table to make sure our voices are heard, concerns are addressed, and we are not displaced due to increased property taxes or utility bills. We want the same protections the developers are receiving on their taxes and utilities. We want to make sure we are not poisoned as we know that dangerous toxins are in the soil,” she added.
ASE seeks a Community Benefits Agreement that includes a 15% reduction in property taxes for 30 years; construction of new homes with three to four bedrooms on vacant lots, affordable to neighborhood residents at 50% of Area Median Income ($59,500 for a family of four); targeted local hiring and access to capital for entrepreneurs; site remediation, and more. Construction will stir up toxic dust—arsenic, cyanide, mercury, polychlorinated biphenyl (PCBs) -- that will also pollute the drinking water, ASE says.
That’s because for more than 100 years starting in 1882, the 567-acre site was home to a succession of steelmaking companies. In the 1990s, U.S Steel undertook largescale remediation to evaluate soil and ground water for residential development, according to the website of the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency. The site received a No Further Remediation (NFR) letter in 1997.
(Lamar Johnson Collaborative rendering).
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